noun. a term coined by Jacques Perret (Le Machin, 1955), referring to a banal yet mysterious object-- one that seems to possess neither name nor function, but remains oddly familiar.
As we increasingly reside within the virtual domain, we find a realm that exists beyond the limits of our physicality. We shed our layers of regional differences, and begin to share collective memories of a time when production was through labour-- when our existence was a consequence of our physical actions. In our memories we have retained a certain familiarity with the notion of the tool. Instinctively we touch it, pick it up and search for a clue as to how it was used and of its meaning. It has entered the realm of fiction and nostalgia.
I create fictional objects that may be initially misperceived as historical artifacts. They serve as sculptural translations of signs and symbols (ranging from digital icons to ancient hieroglyphs) that represent universally known objects. The works insinuate a forgotten purpose, yet defy definition for they are works of fiction-- they never served a purpose. The sculptures balance between the realms of anthropology, technology and fiction, as we attempt to reconcile our understanding of the real in an age that is increasingly virtual.